Planet Word Museum: A Photo Safari!

Washington Photo Safari is pleased to do announce its first photo tour inside and outside Planet Word, the exciting new words and language museum in downtown D.C. If “a picture is worth a thousand words,” here are the words for your pictures!

This museum, built inside the historic Franklin School building, is both a photogenic delight and a lot of fun for anybody who is Interested in words and language, and this is a great opportunity to learn and practice interior museum photography with a camera or smartphone.

Planet Word is a language arts museum that opened in Washington D.C.’ Franklin Square in October 2020. The museum is described as ” where language comes to life” and features interactive exhibits dedicated to topics such as the history of the English language, how children learn words, languages around the world, humor, poetry, music, speech writing, advertising, reading and word games.

Each exhibit focuses on a different aspect of the spoken word with an emphasis on allowing visitors to speak, manipulate and interact with concepts. This ranges from an elaborate interactive room-sized globe to playful poetry written on bathroom walls, and an elevator whose cab is lined with… books!

The museum was created by Ann B. Friedman, a philanthropist and former reading teacher who is married to NY Times opinion columnist Tom Friedman

Here is a sampling of the images you will get on this safari:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/123745666@N04/albums/72177720300418882

Our safari begins in the entrance hallway where we will be met by the museum’s Deputy Director Kelly Carnes who will guide us through the various colorful rooms and exhibits.

The safari will be led by architectural photographer and Washington Photos Safari director E David Luria, who will give tips on composition, camera settings, white balance and ISO settings. Tripods are allowed on this safari, but please take care not to create a tripping hazard for visitors!

And as we exit the museum, a story machine invites us to choose a story or poem. We push the button and the story spits out a tape with the story or poem on it, a great little gift for children and grandchildren. We then exit the museum and take pictures of the building itself from adjoining 13th street and K street, NW.

Recommended equipment; cameras with wide angle lenses and/or fast 35mm or 50mm F1.8 lenses, or late model smartphones, tripods are allowed. The safari fee includes a donation to the museum.